Extension keeper plate



July 21, 1953 B. VIOLA EXTENSION KEEPER PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1951 I N V EN TOR. 5 fial'assa ze v'z'oza.

B. VIOLA EXTENSION KEEPER PLATE July 21, 19.53

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1951 INVENTOR. *5 EaZd'aasw/e wbza, BY

' flf/mg r Patented July '21, 1953 STATES" Q PATENT OFFICE 2;s4s,s02 I v EXTENSION KEEPER PLATE Baldassare Viola, Detroit, Mi'ch. 7

Application March.27; 1951, Serial No. 217,779;

' 4Claims; (01. 292-340) to an extension keeper. plate for automobile. trunk. locks. When animals, or perishable foodsareto .be transportedin an. automobile, trunk itis. very desirable thatithe. .trunklid. beheld immovable. in .a. slightly, open.

position toprovidenecessary ventilation and alsov to prevent the escape of the animals, or the .un

authorized removal oftheperishable foods.

Itisan .objectofthis.invention to provide an extensionkeeper plate .for automobile trunk looks that may. be. quickly and easily. mounted over.

the ,conventional keeper, providedsin the trunk.

by the automobile manufacturer to engage the bolt .of the :lock- .onithetrunklid, for retaining, the lid in slightlyopen,position... Moreover my extension keeper plate is. so. constructed. that it does. not interfere with the use .of the conventional keeper. when the lid is. closed...

Another object of the invention is to provide suchan extensionkeeperplate having a pivotplate thereon... adapted; to..be-. swung upwardly against a stopandintoposition totbe engaged by. the. bolt of the lockonthe trunk lid when the said.

lid is slightly open... I

A furtherobject ofv the invention isto provide suchan extension keeper. plate which, when its pivotplate is either in, operative or inoperative position, ,only-oooupies ,a very small amou'ntnof spacewithin thetrunkn Having thus briefly statedgsome, of .the objects...

and advantages v.of. the invention. 1. will ,now describe some preferred embodiments-thereof .with

the aid of the accompanyingdrawings,in. which:

Figure 1 is asection. on the line .,ll, of Figure.

2, and

Figure 2 is .a .view looking toward the .rear' of. the: trunk. with the trunk floor in seotionnandv showing my extension keeper-plate inoperative.

" Figureldisa section on the'line 1| o -|u ofFigurell...

Figure-.11 :isa. side view of the extension keeper. plate shown in Figur 9 with the rear portion of the trunk fioor in section, and

Figure 12=i "a-view' on the line'l2l2 ofzFigure-11.- w

Referring first to :Figures 1 to 8, inc1usive,'of the drawings; l.designatesa'portion' of the'floor" :of an automobile-trunhand Zdenotes a, conventionalrear wall thereof which 'projects' upwardly from the rear extremity of'the floor across the entire width-of the latter. The rear wall is horizontally and'forwa'rdly stepped at 3 toward the top, andextending upwardly from the front of this step is a vertical extension 4 rearwardly from the upper margin of which a horizontal flange 5 projects. Extending upwardly from the..floor .I and forwardly spaced from .the .rear wall 2 is an angle plate 'ljthe foot of. which rests upon and is welded or otherwis suitably secured to the said-floor Theupper extremity ofthelangleplate J is. welded-.orotherwise-suitablysecuredto. the inner..'face- .0f -the verticaliextension-4 and terminates substantially .flushwith the top.of-.the.. latter.) Secured-to. the-'innepface-of' the angle a plate: 1 .by-screws :8 inthreaded engagement with: nuts- 9\we1ded-tothe outer face of the said angleplate is .'a-. conventional keeper IU- provided with suitable-means," such as -a--'forward :projection- -I I shown in"Figures"1, 2 and'3; a lateral notch- I la as shown irf Figures'4 and 5;or a central slot 1 lb as shown *inFigures "6 fiand'i, to receive a latch bolt "I Twhich forms part of a conventional lock" (notfshown) mountedon the trunk'1id'l3; When 7 the said 'lid is shut the latch I2 is in looking ening a .modified .form. .oflextension. keeperplate mounted .upon a slightly different .keeper.

Figure -.6 islaasection .on the .line..'.G-6 .of-.Fig.-., urell, and.

keeper.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectiononthe-line B-.-8 ,j

by Whichflthe keeper. lll is held in positionalso of Figure 7.

Figure 9.15 aplanyiew. of another modification. I 'of my extension keepenplate mountedonastriker.

secured to a trunk floor.

gagement with the conventional keeper l0, and at that time the lower margin of the lid I3 rests b'eneathand contiguous to the flange 5 of the rear wall 2.

The extension keeper .plate consists essentially of amountingplate l6 terminatingat one extremityin av hinge portion 11, and apivot plate l 8 having-at. one extremity .a.corresponding hinge portion. [9 .whichispivotally connected to the portion... bya pin 20. Means are provided for attachment-of -the mounting plate upon .the

keeperal 0, and. the pivot plate I8. is provided with means for engaging the latch I2.

Referring. to Figures l, 2 and 3, the :screw- 8 passes; through elongatedv holes 2| formed through-the mounting platexlfi to secure the-latter pon the keeper. The upper extremity of I 3 the mounting plate I6 and its hinge portion II are located beneath the projection II on the keeper I0, and when the said projection is in engagement with the latch I2 and the trunk lid shut, the pivot plate I8 is downturned to its inoperative position indicated at IBa. However when the trunk lid is to be held partially open the pivot plate I8, which is offset intermediately of its length as shown at 22, is swung upwardly and rearwardly until its movement i checked by the keeper III and the ofiset portion rests adjacent the top of the angle plate I. Thus the pivot plate is firmly supported to bear the Weight of the lid I3. The plate I8 is also apertured at 24 between the hinge portion I9 and the offset 22 to provide clearance for the projection II when the pivot plate is in its operative position; and formed across the pivot plate I8 toward its outer extremity is a transverse hook-shaped portion 23 the open side of which is rearwardly disposed when the said pivot plate is in its raised position so that a shoulder formed across the junction of the said portion 23 with the said pivot plate is adapted to be engaged by the latch I2 as shown in Figure 1.

In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the arrangement is very largely the same as that above described except that the keeper I is provided with a lateral notch Ila to be engaged by the latch I2, and conseouently no aperture corresponding to that shown at 24 in Figures 2, 3 and 4 is required in the pivot plate I8. In this case, however, the pivot plate is notched from' one side as shown at 26 to correspond with the notch I la. This notch 26 is engaged by the latch I2 when it is desired to hold the lid in partially open position. and when the p vot plate is in operative osition it rests upon the keeper II].

The difference in the modification shown in Figures 6. 7 and 8 lies in the fact that both the keeper I0 and the mounting plate I6 are substantiallv channel-sha ed in cross section and have outwardlv projecting ears t rou h wh ch the screws 8 extend. In this case the pivot late I8 toward its outer extremity is slotted at 21' intermediat-elv of its width to receive the latch I2 when the lid is held in partial y open position.

It will also he noted that in all the embodimerits above described th t a forwardly pro ecting flan e I611. is formed inteoral th the lower extremitv of the mount ng pl te I6 for attachment. preferabl bv weldin e her u on the foot of the angle p ate I. or upon the floor I.

In the modification shown in Fi ures 9 to 12, inclusive, the trunk has no vertical wall extending upwardly acro s the rear of the floor I d, but when the lid I 3d is clo ed laterall movable members I211, which const tute the latch swing out ard toward opposi e sides of the trunk abo t pins I Be and pass beneath raised ears IId for ed on oppo ite si es of the kee er I (Id.

Mounted on flanges Ifle which form part of the keeper IM, outwardly bevond the ears II (1 re spaced arms 30 inte al with and extending forwardly from a mount ng plate IGd, and formed across the front e tremities o the arms 30 and integral with the latter are aligned hinge portions I'M. A coacting hinge portion I9d extending between the hinge portions I Id is formed integral with the pivot plate IBd, and a hinge pin 20d extends through the hinge portions IId .and ISd. The pivot plate ltd is ofiset at 33 adjacent its hinge portion I90! to seat across'the front extremities of the raised ears IId when the said plate is in its lid engaging position.

4 At its outer extremity the pivot plate I8d is folded to form an extension 3| which projects substantially horizontally in a forward direction when the pivot plate is in its operative position. The extension 3| is slotted intermediately of its width from its outer margin to form opposed ears 32 spaced the same distance apart as the ears I Id. Thus the ears 32 form engaging means beneath which the pivot latch members I2d are adapted to swing to hold the lid I3 relative to the pivot plate in it partially open position. The screws B11 in engagement with the nuts 9d, by which the keeper IIld is secured to the floor I d, also extend through the arms 30 to hold the mounting plate I611 in place; and the nuts 9d are usually welded to the underside of the floor Id.

In the drawings, the trunk lid I3, or I3cl, is shown locked in partially open position, and the location of the lid in shut position is also indicated at I3 and HM.

While in the foregoing some of the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, it is understood that further modifications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An extension keeper arrangement for automobile trunk locks, including a mounting plate adapted to be secured in a trunk and having a hinge portion thereon, a pivot plate having a corresponding hinge portion thereon, means pivotally connecting the two hinge portions, said pivot plate being offset intermediately of its length and adapted to bear against a keeper and to project upwardly thereover, and means on the pivot plate for engaging a latching means on the lid of the trunk for locking said lid in a partially open position.

2. .An extension keeper arrangement for automobile trunk locks, including a mounting plate for attachment to a conventional keeper in a trunk and having a hinge portion formed across one extremity, a pivot plate having a correspond ing hinge portion formed across one extremity and means adjacent its opposite extremity adapted to be engaged by a latching means on the lid of a trunk to lock said lid in partially open position, a pin extending through both the hinge portions, and said pivot plate being offset intermediately of its length to rest against said keeper when said pivot plate is in position to be engaged by said latching means.

3. An extension keeper arrangement for automobile trunk locks including the combination with a trunk having a hinged lid thereon, of a mounting plate secured to the trunk, said plate having a hinge portion thereon, a pivot plate having a corresponding hinge portion thereon, said hinge portions being in horizontal alignment, a pin extending through said hinge portions to permit pivotal movement of the pivot plate, said pivot plate being offset intermediately of its length, said oifset portion being adapted to be supported by the trunk at its upturned limit of travel, and means on the pivot plate adapted V to be engaged by a locking member on the lid to ing plate secured to the trunk, a pivot plate, horizontally disposed hinge portions on both said plates, a pin extending through said hinge portions whereby said pivot plate is mounted for v References Cited in the file of this patent V swinging movement about the axis of the pin,

means limiting the upswing 0f the piVOt" plate, iT STATES PATENTS said pivot plate having its outer extremity folded to form 'a laterally projecting flange, said flange 5 Number Name o Date being slotted intermediatelyof its width from its 769,209 DeLan Sept- 6, 1904. outer extremity to form opposed ears adapted to 1186322 Lyons June '1916 be engaged. by locking means on the trunk lid 7 23571214 W158 sept- 1941 When said lid is partially open and said pivot 21267397 D311 1941 plate has been swung upwardly to its limit of 10 travel. r

BALDASSARE VIOLA. 

